Macworld iWorld 2012!

The ultimate iFan event for those who use, create, love and lust after Apple products opens to the public in San Francisco this Thursday under the new name of “Macworld | iWorld“. This was previously the Macworld event.

The most interesting and certainly the most unique show that we’ve ever produced.

The event begins on the 26th (Thursday) for the public and goes on until 29th (Saturday), with Press & Media folks including oObly getting a sneak peek of the Innovation Showcase a day before on the 28th (Wednesday).

The expo will be held at San Francisco’s Moscone Convention Center with “plenty going on.” according to Kent.

Macworld IWorld 2012: What’s New? The New OSX Zone

With the emergence of the Mac App Store, this year’s Macworld | iWorld will feature an “OS X Zone,” in the Exhibition hall featuring OS X apps and their app developers.

The Exhibition hall, located in the first floor of Moscone West, will feature 271 exhibitors of which 130 are app developers.

There will also be plenty of iOS accessory and lifestyle product makers, says Kent. “iWorld is not just a new name, it’s really a direction for the show, where all aspects of the mobile lifestyle are going to be brought to life.”

Macworld IWorld 2012: Tech Talks

Upstairs in Moscone West will be the tech talks and the show’s mainstage, and in those panels, says Kent, Apple users will find all sorts of great tips and insights on how their hardware and software works together. Some of the talks will be for a general Mac audience, featuring the who is who from the Mac community talking about their area of interest, and some of them will be very specific talks based on some technical issues, like dealing with Photoshop or Quicktime, or planning your iOS deployment (all day workshop).

Macworld IWorld 2012: Celebrity Appearances

Elsewhere on the main stage, there will be plenty of celebrities and artists coming in throughout the week to talk about how they use Apple products in their work. Modest Mouse will open up the event, and during the week, visitors will see all kinds of artists and musicians showing off their work, including bands like moe, Atomic Tom, and legendary electronic musician BT.

And the last big exhibit is the Macworld Midway, also on the show’s second floor, which will feature all kinds of different fan-centered exhibits based on Apple’s hardware and software. In addition to musical shows and demonstrations, there will be an iPad sketch booth, where visitors can get sketched on an iPad, and a photo booth run with Apple devices. “In general show managers don’t design attractions,” says Kent, but Macworld this year is different — he and his team have created a little something different from the standard convention. “We’ve kind of gone down the road of really creating this experiential environment.”

I know this sounds like a lot of fun, so don’t forget, team oObly will be here in San Francisco covering the event floor to floor, booth to booth for you. If there is anything in particular you want us to cover, let us know!

[credits: background photo via geek.com, derived work with logo created by oObly team]

Shiva Manjunath

Shiva Manjunath is a technology blogger based in San Francisco, California.